View Poll Results: which is the best
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which do you consider to be the better engine, 5.2 or 5.9
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Joined: May 2006
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From: Burnsville, mn - Pensacola, fl
which do you consider to be the better engine, 5.2 or 5.9
In my opinion the 5.2 blows the 5.9 outta the water, iv had 3 5.9's over the years and had nothing but problems. i hate the 360's
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Joined: May 2006
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From: Burnsville, mn - Pensacola, fl
to be honest with you, i have a 1990 D150 with a 318 that has over 700k miles, and also have a 2000 durango both sitting at my house in florida, the stock D150 side by side with the durango : which has a 360 : the D150 will smoke it, way more power off the line, way more topend speed. only thing the 360 has over the 318 is over all low end torque, but if your geared right with a 318 u can still out tow the hell outta a 5.9
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From: Indiana
318 reliable as hell
i know a maker of articulated 4x4 tractors put a polyhead version of the 318 in one of their tractors back in the 60s
i know a maker of articulated 4x4 tractors put a polyhead version of the 318 in one of their tractors back in the 60s
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This is all relative really. On one hand, they are practically the same motor with a few minor differences, and on the other, it was a popularity contest. For those of you that don't want to mess with history, look at the new rams. What is the most prevalent motor offered in the 1500? The answer from many would be the 5.7 Hemi. Think about it though, that isn't the standard motor. While you may see a lot more of them running around compared to our upgraded brother, the 4.7 magnum, the 4.7 is still the standard.
Now, go back to our trucks and you'll see that they are basically the same way. The 5.2 was the "standard" and the 5.9 was the one that prevailed over the rest. Either because people thought that the extra few ponies you received from the 360 over the 318 was worth the extra coin, or Dodge did with the 5.9 like they have done with the 5.7; offering and carrying it the most.
In my personal opinion, in stock form, I would take a 318 over a 360 seven days a week. That is, if you didn't plan on really tearing into the motor that much. On paper, the 360 should last longer than the 318 when you compare the bore, stroke and compression, but I see a general trend in the fact that I see many more 318's that have outlasted the 360. Do not confuse what I'm saying here. I'm not saying that it is a clear line that says," The 318 will always out live the 360". I'm not saying that at all. 90% of a motor's life depends on how it's treated, and what kind of environment that it is operated in. If you take two motors out and put one in a dry, dust free climate, I would tend to think that it would live many times longer than a motor that is operated in a wet, gritty, and dirty climate. Think Tuscon Arizona compared to Cocoa Florida.
I don't care which motor you want to go out and claim is the "best", but never forget that the 318 has been around for either right at forty years or just a little over it. The 360 was born from the same "genes" as the 318, but was modified to pick up a small amount of more power. Point here is, don't think of the 318 as the "red headed step child" so to speak. Never forget though, both are a small block, and while both have the potential to reach some extreme power ranges, you can't beat the performance offered from a big block. It has been this way for years. The only thing that really disrupts this statement is the fact that sheer lack of RPM range is what holds our small blocks back. The old line," There is no replacement for displacement" can be debunked with the line," Yes there is, it's called RPM range". You can take a motor that can turn a max of 5,800 RPMs, and mod the hell out of it, but you'll run into a wall really quickly. If you can throw the same mods at a motor capable of turning 10,000 RPMs safely, you'll be much better off.
To sum up, it all depends on what you are going for. If it's raw power, then you could possibly be leaning towards the 360. If you are looking for nothing more than something that moves and hauls a little bit, then you possibly lean towards the 5.2.
Now, go back to our trucks and you'll see that they are basically the same way. The 5.2 was the "standard" and the 5.9 was the one that prevailed over the rest. Either because people thought that the extra few ponies you received from the 360 over the 318 was worth the extra coin, or Dodge did with the 5.9 like they have done with the 5.7; offering and carrying it the most.
In my personal opinion, in stock form, I would take a 318 over a 360 seven days a week. That is, if you didn't plan on really tearing into the motor that much. On paper, the 360 should last longer than the 318 when you compare the bore, stroke and compression, but I see a general trend in the fact that I see many more 318's that have outlasted the 360. Do not confuse what I'm saying here. I'm not saying that it is a clear line that says," The 318 will always out live the 360". I'm not saying that at all. 90% of a motor's life depends on how it's treated, and what kind of environment that it is operated in. If you take two motors out and put one in a dry, dust free climate, I would tend to think that it would live many times longer than a motor that is operated in a wet, gritty, and dirty climate. Think Tuscon Arizona compared to Cocoa Florida.
I don't care which motor you want to go out and claim is the "best", but never forget that the 318 has been around for either right at forty years or just a little over it. The 360 was born from the same "genes" as the 318, but was modified to pick up a small amount of more power. Point here is, don't think of the 318 as the "red headed step child" so to speak. Never forget though, both are a small block, and while both have the potential to reach some extreme power ranges, you can't beat the performance offered from a big block. It has been this way for years. The only thing that really disrupts this statement is the fact that sheer lack of RPM range is what holds our small blocks back. The old line," There is no replacement for displacement" can be debunked with the line," Yes there is, it's called RPM range". You can take a motor that can turn a max of 5,800 RPMs, and mod the hell out of it, but you'll run into a wall really quickly. If you can throw the same mods at a motor capable of turning 10,000 RPMs safely, you'll be much better off.
To sum up, it all depends on what you are going for. If it's raw power, then you could possibly be leaning towards the 360. If you are looking for nothing more than something that moves and hauls a little bit, then you possibly lean towards the 5.2.
